A Thai political party has named a princess as its nominee to be the next prime minister, upending tradition that the royal palace plays no public role in politics. A Thai political party has named a princess as its nominee to be the next prime minister, upending tradition that the royal palace plays no public role in politics. The selection of 67-year-old Princess Ubolratana Mahidol by the Thai Raksa Chart Party marks a shock realignment of Thai politics, as she is now affiliated with a political machine that had been dismissed by hardcore royalists as opposed in spirit to the monarchy. Thai politics for more than a decade has been shaken by violent street protests, coups and comebacks, but those are familiar events in Thai history. The other destabilising element in Thai politics was the 2001 election as prime minister of telecommunications tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra.

Source: Irish Independent February 08, 2019 04:18 UTC